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Suspect in Monday shooting arrested

An investigation into a reported shooting on the east side of Pine Bluff on Monday resulted in the arrest of a man who allegedly shot another man after an argument about money.

Ramon Matthews, 21, allegedly went to a house in the 1100 block of South Dakota Street looking for a man who owed him money for crack cocaine. When that man was not at the house, Matthews allegedly shot Edward Warren, 47, after Warren refused to give him money.

During a court hearing Thursday, Deputy Prosecutor Maxie Kizer said Warren was at the house visiting his girlfriend when a white car containing four people pulled up, and a man later identified as Matthews said he was “looking for a person who owed him $40.”

Detective Mike Sweeney said in a probable-cause affidavit that Warren acknowledged knowing the person Matthews was looking for, and told Matthews that person was not there.

Kizer said Matthews allegedly told Warren to give him the $40 he was owed or he would shoot him, and when Warren refused, Matthews allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Warren in the hip.

Sweeney said in the affidavit that Warren was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center and underwent surgery for his wound.

After the shooting, police questioned the person Matthews was looking for, and he said Matthews had called him several times on his cell phone demanding money, and police were able to identify Matthews from those calls.

Sweeney said in the affidavit that when Matthews was questioned, he denied any involvement in the shooting.

Kizer said Matthews is on probation after pleading guilty to residential burglary and theft of property charges in 2012, and had an extensive history of failing to appear in court, the most recent in Jefferson County District Court in early May.

Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set a $50,000 cash-only bond for Matthews after ruling that prosecutors had probable cause to charge him with first-degree battery and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Kearney also ordered Matthews to have no contact with Warren until the case is settled, and told him to come back to court June 27.